Cloth measuring and folding machine.



J. T. TULLIS;

CLOTH MEASURING AND FGLDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION mm amt-1.19m. nsmswto JULY :3. m1.

, 1 ,238,961 Patented Sept. 4, 1917f 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

if d .ZTflZZZZ;

Witnesses Inventor lay Attorneys J. T TLUUSQ CiOTH MEASURING AND FGLDZNG MACHINE. APPucATmN mm ma :4. ma. RENEWEQ JULY 3, I911.

. 5333,96 1 PatenteeiSept. 4, 1917.

2 SHEiTS--SHEET 2.

I I f &

JCLTZZZZQ Inventor Attorneys UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN THOMAS Terms, or Boris, ARKANSAS, .assmnon or ONE-HALF TO ROBERT MUNDAY. 0F roman, ARKANSAS.

CLOTH MEASURING AND FOLDING MACHINE.

Application filed March 14, 1916, Serial No. 84.143.

To all whom it may Homer/ L:

Be it known that 1, JOHN T, Tomas, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hope. in the county of Hempsteacl and as it is unrolled from the bolt. and it is the objeet of the invention to provide a novel and improved appliance of that eharaeter adapted for use in drygoods stores and elsewhere. for conveniently measuring, cutting,

and folding the cloth. eliminating the tronble, time and waste incident, tothe ordinary' m'ethodof measuring, cutting and folding cloth takenfrom bolts. J The presentrnaelnne has novel means for receiving the bolt of cloth, meansior meas- I uring the cloth as it 1s unwound, novel means for t'olding the measured cloth,and novel means ,for SOVQ-l'lflfi or cutting the cloth, the folded elot h being: readily reanoved from the maelune in order that it can be wrapped.

W'ith the foregoing and other objects in \ltlW which will appear as the description proeeeds. the invention resides in the rombinution and al'rainzementoi parts and in the details of eonstruetion heremafter de-.

scribed and elaimed. it being understood that ehanges in the prewse embodiment of the invention herein disclosed oau be made within the seope of what is claimed with- Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine,

ti ns being broken awn)- Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof, portions being brokenawny. V V

F 1g. 31s a fragmental. opposite side ele- Nation Fig. 4 is a view illustrating the meansfor elanip ing the cloth, and for cuttingthe same, i I

Figsufi and *6 are elevations of the cutter. Fig, 7 is an. elevation of the Slide adjustable upon the cloth wrapping plate.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the'said slide.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 4,"1917.

Renewed July 13, 1917. Serial No. 180,482.

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the socket member for rereiving the free end of said plate.

Fig. 10 is an elevation of said socket member.

Fig. 11 is a section on the line1l:l1.of F ig. 8. p i

Fig. 12 is an ei'ilarged seetion on the line 12-12 of Fig. -l-.

The appliance embodies a suitable frame having the sides 1 which are spaced apart a'distanee greater than the length of the bolts of cloth. Mounted for rotation between the sides 1 of the frame is a transverse feed roller '3.above whi'eh is disposed a parallel pressure roller 3 adapted to hold the cloth C firmlv uponthe roller :2. to prevent the cloth and mller :2 slipping: relative to one another. The roller 3 is earried by a frame 4. pivotally Conner-ted b v arms 2, when the cloth is being applied'over the roller 2.

There is provided within the frame a I eoneave reeeptacle composed of transverse rollers 6 terminally journaled to the sides 1 of the frame. and said rollers are so hr; ranged as to provide a transverse reeeptaele in rear of the roller 2. said roller being dis posed above one side of the reeeptarle. The bolt ll of cloth is lropped within this re; eeptacle and can rotate easily. the rotation of the rollers faeililating this action. and permitting-the bolt to move easily within the receptacle. I

.\s a means for holding the bolt B prop erlv within the receptacle, to prevent the bolt shifting longitudinally of itseltout of proper position. a plate 7 is disposed within the rereptaelebetween and parallel with the sides 1 of the frame. and is adapted to be adjusted hmgitudinally of the receptacle to aeeianmoda-te'farions lengths ofbolts. The plate T is prov1ded with a downwardly pr jecting pm 8 adapted to be inserted downwardlv in a ertnres 9 of a transverse bar 10 I is unwound from. the bolt, and to this end a small pinion 11 is attached to one end of the roller 2 or its shaft, and meshes with a gear wheel 12 having a pointer 1-3 attached thereto, said pointer cooperating with a graduated dial 14, upon which is indicated by the pointer the length of material passed over the roller 2. This provides a convenient and accurate means of measuring the cloth. a

A ratchet wheel 15, as, seen in Fig. 3, is attached to the other end of the roller 2 or its shaft, and a awl or do 15'-"ca ried by the respective si e 1 of the f ram'e c 'perates with the ratchet wheel 15, to pre ent the retrograde rotation of the roller 2. A second pawl or dog 16 also cooperdles with the I ratchet wheel 15, and.is carried ,hy one end of a transverse shaft 17 journpi ed through 'the sides of the frame below the roller 2.

The other end of the shaft}? is provided with a handle 18, whereby pttid rock shaft 17 can be readily manipulated from the operating side of the machine to move the pawl 16 into or out of engagement with the ratchet wheel 15. When the pawl 16 is en-' gaged to the ratchet wheel 15, this prevents the further feeding of the cloth.

A transverse strip 19 is secured upon the sides of the frame adjacent the rollers 23 so that the cloth passes from the rollers over said strip, and said strip has an elongated slot 20 arranged longitudinally thereof to accommodate the cloth cutter. This cloth cutter embodies a handle 21 working within and projecting upwardly from the slot 2(), pairs of wheels or rollers 22 and 23 being pivoted to the opposite sides of the handle 21 and icontacting with the upper and lower surfaces of, the strip, respectively, to uidethe cutter for easy movement hack and forth along the strip 19. The handle 21 carries a cutter blade 24. The cutting edge of the blade 24 is inclined when the handle 21 is in operative position, as seen in Fig. 5.

Cooperating with the strip 19 is a clampin or pressing arm 25 composed of two si e pieces 26 constructed of sheet metal or other suitable material, and fulcrumed, as at 27, to that side of the frame remote from the operating side of the machine. The fulcrum 27 is below one end of the strip 19, and from the fulcrum 27, the side pieces 26 (if the member 25 extend upwardly to the strip 19 and then extend along the strip, projecting toward the opposite side of the frame. The

pieces 26 are connected by stays 28, adjacent the fulcrum 27, for strengthening the arm or member 25, andthe upper edges of the pieces or sections 26 are provided with flanges or lips-29"" longitudinal inturned adapted to seat upon the strip 19 vad1acent the edges thereof. The flanges or lips 29 do notextend the full lengt can strip 19, since this is not necessary. Said anges and said are spaced apart sufliciently to permit the wheels 22 of the cloth cutter to move there between. The lower terminal of the clamping arm 25 has pivotally connected thereto one end of a transverse rod or link 30, and the other end of said rod is pivoted upon a circular plate or lever 31 mounted for rotation upon an outstanding shelf 32 attached to the side 1 of the frame which is at the operating side of the machine. The plate 31 has an outstanding arm or handle 33 whereby it can be conveniently oscillated. \Vhen the plate 31 is moved to one position, the rod 30 is pushed toward theopposite side,'thereby swinging the arm 25 so that the flanges 29 seat upon the strip 19, and when the plate 31 is moved in the opposite direction, the rod 30 is pulled to swing the arm. 25 upwardly to the dotted line position as seen in Fig. 4. This will move the arm upwardly out of the way, so that the cloth can pass over the strip 19 without interference, the cutter being moved to one end of the strip 19 out of the way also.

The cloth C is wound upon. an elongated plate 34, for the purpose of folding the cloth, plate 34 is mounted for rotation upon a spindle or shaft 35 disposed longitudinally of the plate 34 between the edges thereof. One end of the spindle 35 is secured to, a block or member 36 hihged to that side of the frame remote from the operating side of the machine, whereby the spindle 35 can be swung from a transverse position, as seen in full lines in Fig. 1, in a horizontal plane'uway from the frame, as indicated in dotted lines in said figure. The free end of the plate 34 is supported by an elongated socket member 37 carried for rotation by that side of the frame at the opcrating side of the machine. a hand crank 38 being attached to the socket member 37 for rotating it. One end of the socket member 37 is open to receive the frvc end of the plate 34 when it is swung into operating position, and when the socket member 37 is properly disposed, the plate 3 1 can be swung out of the same to the dotted line position in Fig. 1. V

Mounted for sliding adjustment upon the plate 34 is an elongated slide 39, which has pivoted thereto a cam 40 which can be swung againstithe plate 34 to hold the slide in various adjusted positions, so as to ccommodate difierent widths of cloth. T e socket member -37 and slide 39 are each ping the end of the cloth, when the end of the cloth isapplied to the plate 34, and .Wher'by the c loth. will be woundup'on saidplate 34 when itis rotated.

In using the machine, the bolt B of cloth from which a length ofclothiisto be taken,

is deposited in the rece t the rollers 6, and'the cloth'is u Euver the roller 2, the roller 3 being raised out of the way until the cloth is passed over the roller 9. lhe cloth is then passed over the strip 19 and is attached to the plate 234 by means of the catches 4].. Then, with the arm 25 swung upwardly out of the way, and the cutter at one end of the strip 19, the crank 38 mtated for Winding the cloth upon the plate 34, the length of cloth thereon being indicated by the pointer 13 upon the stile 14. After the desired length of cloth has moved past the strip 19, the handle 18 is swung to bring the pawl 16 into engagement with the ratchet wheel 15, said pawl .16 being normally moved away from the ratchet wheel 15, and this prevents the movement of the cloth in either direction relative to the feed rolls. The handle 33 is now moved to swing the arm 25 downwardly, so that its flanges 29 press or clamp the cloth tightly upon the strip 19, and then the cutter, which is at that end of the strip 19 adjacent the arm 25, is moved by the hand along the strip 19, and in being so moved will out the cloth quickly and effectively. The flanges 29 in holding the cloth upon the st ip 12 a l the oppositc sidcs of the slot 720 will prevent the cloth from slipping as the cutter is moved along the arm :25 and away from the same toward the opposite side of the machine. The plate 34 is then given an additional turn, after the cloth is cut, to complete the winding of the cloth. The cloth which is mounted or folded upon the p ate 3i can. then be readily removed for p o-pose of wrapping, since when the socket member 37 is brought to thc position illustrated in Figs 1 HER. l, the plate 31- (all be wung outwanll and after the cloth is discus, d from the ratchcs 41. the loth run he radil v dipp d oii oi' the plate 354 by an cnluiwmovement. The cloth is thus Folded in order that it an be wrapped convcnia-mlv. .lhc present machine facilitates the ii cnsouxingz. cutting and folding of the cloth. and is for superior to thc ordinary method of handling the cloth by hand, which involves considerable time, and trouble, as well as producing waste when the cloth is not cut accurately by hand.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A device of the character described embodying a frame having cloth holding means, a winding member having one on hingedly connected to the frame, a rotatable socket member carried by the frame for receiving the free end of said winding memher, a slide adjustable upon the winding member, and catches carried by said socket member and slide for attaching the end of the cloth to the winding member.

2. A device of the character described embodying a frame having cloth holding means, a block hinged to the frame, a spindle carried by said block, a plate rotatable upon said spindle for Winding the cloth thereon, a rotatable elongated socket member carried by the frame and having one end open to receive the free end of said plate, a slide adjustable upon said plate, and cloth engaging catches carried by said socket member and slide.

3. A device of the character described ei'nbcdyiug a frame having cloth holding means and a transverse strip over which the cloth passes while being measured, an arm fulcrumed to one side of the frame below said strip and having side pieces extending along the edges of said strip, said side pieces having flanges adapted to clamp the cloth upon the strip the arm projecting from said side of the frame toward the opposite side, a cutter movable along the strip be tween said flanges, operating means carried by that side of the frame opposite the first mentioned sidc, and a connection between said operating means and arm.

iit timouy that I claim the foregoing as my own, i have hereto allixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

J'OH N THOMAS TU LL19.

VVitnessL-s N. M. CAnLmcY, E. O. WINGFIELD. 

